December 20, 2009

Each year, my wife receives a letter from the man who was her Special Education professor at the University of British Columbia. His name is Bob Poutt, and he instructed teachers at UBC for many years. His students are known as "Pouttians", and there are many, many of them.

Each year without fail, we receive a Christmas letter from Bob. He is always eloquent. This year, Bob 's Christmas letter contained some very beautiful words, poetry, really, and to me, it illustrates Bob's spirituality, and his humanistic, compassionate approach towards living. Please take these words to heart:

"Life need not be counted in candles or measured in numbers of years. Instead it may be counted in awe and intimacy, in triumphs, in benefits of belief, in laugh lines, in personal intensities.

"Life need not be counted in candles or measured in numbers of years, but in plans accomplished with effort and surprise, with possibilities we followed boldly, with compassionate responses, with hopes and beliefs kept alive.

"Life need not be counted in candles or measured in numbers of years that have flown. Instead it may be counted in devotion and delight, in deepending friendships, in connecting with loved ones, in building family, and in all the sweet momewnts we've known."